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W. s. SEYMOUR. WOVEN WIRE MATTRESS.

No. 410,937. Patented Sept. 10, 1889. 1

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heats-Sheet 2 W. S. SEYMOUR. WOVEN WIRE MATTRESS.

N0. 410,9 37. Patented Sept. 10, 1889.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

\VILLIAM S. SEYMOUR, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALFTO ELMER H. GREY, OF SAME PLACE.

WOVEN-WIRE MATTRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 410,937, datedSeptember 10, 1889.

Application filed July 18, 1889- Serial No. 317,895. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. SEYMOUR, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city of Philadelphia, county of Philadelphia, and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Woven-WireMattresses, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of mattresses known as woven-Wirematt-resses,in which the principal element is a woven-wire fabric keptin a state of tension, so as to form an elastic surface. In thewoven-wire mattresses of which I am aware the tension of the fabric hasbeen maintained by fastening two or more sides of the fabric to a rigidframe. The main objection to such mattresses is their weight andliability to warp, both of which objections are obviated by myinvention.

Woven-wire mattresses with rigid frames have sometimes been used incombination with perpendicular spiral springs; but in such combinationsthe perpendicular spiral springs have simply been used to furnish aperpendicular support to the fabric, and not to take the place of therigid frame.

My invention consists in the use of the coiled ends of perpendicularspiral springs to maintain the tension of the wire fabric, thus doingaway with the rigid frame and forming a flexible frame-work on which thewovenwire fabric is stretched. I accomplish this result by attaching thecoiled ends of the springs in a state of tension to the wire fabric insuch a way that the tendency ofthe ends of the springs to expand keepsthe fabric taut. I use as the most desirable way to accomplish thisextra wire cables consisting of one or more strands of wire woven intothe wire fabric by being intertwined with the wires of the fabric insuch a way that they hang or are suspended below the surface of thefabric, said cables being parallel with each other and at a distancefrom each other less than the diameter of the coiled end of each of theperpendicular spiral springs when not in a state of tension. By slightlycompressing the'coiled end of each spring and running it through two ofthese wire cables,

so that each cable is maintained at a uniform distance from the nextparallel cable on each side by the outward tension of the end coils of anumber of perpendicular spiral springs, the fabric is kept stretched andat the same time the wire cables are kept in position below the surfaceof the woven-wire fabric, and the said fabric presents a uniform surfacestretched above the surface of the ends of the perpendicular spiralsprings. In making said woven-wire mattress the perpendicular spiralsprings may be mounted on any suitable frame-work of wood or metal; butI prefer, as the best method of making the mattress, to provide awoven-wire fabric for both the upper and the lower ends of theperpendicular spiral springs, connecting the upper ends of the springsto the upper fabric and the lower ends to the lower fabric in the methodalready described, thereby using both ends of the springs as a flexibleframe-work on which to stretch a fabric and making the mattressreversible.

Figure 1 represents a spring bed-bottom or mattress embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 represents a plan view of a portion of the same. Fig.3 represents a section taken on the line G G of Fig.2.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts throughout theseveral views.

As shown in the drawings, the mattress or bed-bottom consists of anupper and a lower fabric of woven wire A, connected by intermediateperpendicular springs B, as shown, the mattress being for conveniencemade of two sections hinged or connected together for convenience oftransportation and storage. The perpendicular springs are connected attheir opposite ends to the upper and lower fabrics by means of auxiliarywires or cables F intertwisted within the coils of the fabrics. Theupper and lower loops of the springs B are first compressed and in thecompressed condition inserted between adjacent cables F. The tendency ofthe said loops to expand stretches the fabrics, and at the same time theextra wire cables F are drawn below the surface of the woven-wirefabric, so as to leave said surface without any projecting obstruction.It will be evident that with the con- 'strnetion shownthe springbed-bottom- .or

mattress will be reversible, so that either I fabricniay beuppermostwhen the mattress is in use. I I I I I I claim as myinventi0n-I I I I I I I 1. In a Woven-Wire mattress, thecombinationgvith a woven vire fabric, of perpendicular springs, theterminal coilsof saidsprings I being connected Wit-h'said fabric andbeing under lateral tension, whereby thetendencyof. the coils to expandkeeps thefabric taut In a woven-Wire mattress, the combina' t10n,-w1th awoven-wire fabric, of extra wire I cables intertwined therewith andperpendicular springs Whose. terminal coils are held in'a. state oflateral tension between adjacent I cables, the distance between thecables being less than the diameter of the I terminal coils. when notunder tension;

I 3. In a woven-Wire mattress, the combination, "with perpendicularsprings, of awoven wire fabric for the top of the mattress ancl aWOVG11+ vire fabric for the'bottoni-of' the mattress, the terminal coilsof said springs at top I ing locatedbeneaththe surface of the fabric,

and perpendicular springs whose terminal coils arehelcl'ina state oflateral tension between adjacent cables, the distance between the cablesbeingless than the diameter of the terminal coils when not undertension. I

. I -WILLIAM S. SEYMOUR.

Witnesses:

A. P. RUTHERFORD,

I I II. B. RUTHERFORD.

